Six New Jersey state troopers who responded to the Paulsboro train derailment and chemical release in November have filed suit against Conrail and related companies for damages from that event.

The suit, filed in federal court in Camden, claims negligence, gross negligence and strict liability against the railroad companies in response to the Nov. 30 accident where seven rail cars derailed over Paulsboro’s Jefferson Street Bridge, sending four cars into the water and spilling vinyl chloride into the air.

Vinyl chloride, a hazardous gas used in making PVC plastics, is known to cause headaches, nausea, damage to the nervous or immune systems and possibly death if inhaled.

The six police officers — Bryan Everingham, Gregory Godish, Patrick Gorman, Vincent Jackson, John Milligan Jr. and Robert Van Fossen — were some of the first responders who rushed to the scene of the accident that morning and, according to Matthew Weng, the attorney representing them, they all have had symptoms of exposure to the dangerous chemical.

“They have complained of headaches and difficulty sleeping,” he said. “They were exposed to the vinyl chloride that leaked out of the derailed trains from the accident. There’s some definite evidence of exposure.”

A jury trial is being requested in the case, which claims that by carrying hazardous substances in a dangerous manner, Conrail, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern and other defendants are strictly liable for damages.

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Conrail and related organizations have yet to respond to the suit, but they have filed a claim exempting them from strict liability in a previous case, saying that as “common carriers” of hazardous materials — meaning they have a legal obligation to transport such freight — they are not strictly liable for those materials.

Hundreds of residents from Paulsboro and surrounding communities and first responders have previously filed lawsuits against the railroad companies in regards to the Nov. 30 accident.

Conrail will not comment on the record about ongoing litigation, but Mike Hotra, spokesman for the company, has said the company will respond to lawsuits “in the appropriate forum and through legal filings.”